HILLSDALE — Located on a 5-acre farm in southern Hillsdale County is a small “ma and pa” woodshop where memories can last forever.

Making family heirlooms is what Jim Beardsley of Kookelberry Farm loves to do for people.

“It’s what I thrive on,” Beardsley said. “What I enjoy most is helping people make their memories last.”

Kookelberry Woodshop offers plaques, signs, clocks, flag cases, urns and more — all done with a state-of-the-art CNC router. Everything from 2D to 3D artwork and engraving is done not only on wood, but also plastic or brass.

“If someone has an idea, I say let’s talk about it,” he said. “I tell people to use their wildest imagination and I’ll engrave it.”

One of Beardsley's most popular services is photo engraving. By using software obtained from England, he can engrave a photo into a wood plaque rubbed with Minwax stain and finished with polyurethane.

Beardsley started his woodworking pasttime-turned-business around five years ago after suffering injuries in a head-on motorcycle accident with a semi. His helmet was cracked, he had numerous broken bones and he’s an amputee who spends some days in a wheelchair.

“There are days I struggle with walking, so my workshop is designed so I can do everything from my wheelchair,” Beardsley said.

Once a truck driver who also did construction jobs, Beardsley was familiar with wood, so his wife, Jane, encouraged him to do something to keep him busy and out of trouble.

“I’m 51, and I wasn’t ready to quit on life — I just wanted to do something to keep working,” he said.

Finding a niche in woodworking has allowed Beardsley to offer unique, keepsake-quality products at low prices. Preserving memories for generations to come gives him great satisfaction since helping people connect with loved ones is priceless, he said.

“I have people who come over and pick up a plaque and start crying,” he said. “It’s very emotional for them to see the connection an engraving makes.”

A job he’ll never forget was when a lady asked him to make her a memory box to keep cherished items from a brother who was killed. She asked that he engrave “cherished memories” with the picture of a tree. To make it even more personal, Beardsley also engraved a poem the women had written, so when her daughter opened it, she could feel like her mother was talking to her.

People can call or email for a free estimate and if they are not 100 percent satisfied, Beardsley said they don’t owe him a dime.

“I like to keep things simple and go back in time when a handshake means sealing a deal,” he said. “That’s just the normal way.”

Page 2 of 2 - The simple lifestyle he speaks of is reflected in the way his wife likes to spin the wool from the sheep the couple owns and milk the goats they have, as well as taking care of the various other farm animals including geese, chickens, dogs and cats.

Their goat named Kookelberry is how they came up with the name Kookelberry Farm.

“That’s my wife’s fault,” he laughed. “We have this crazy billy goat that would lay its head in her lap when she sang the song ‘Kookaburra.’ I never could get the name right, so it turned out Kookelberry.”

Feeling lucky to be around, Beardsley said his work is steady and he won’t turn down any job. Furniture repairs to home décor are all services rendered with endless possibilities.

“The little jobs like fixing a table leg or bar stool spindle are just as important,” he said.